The Moon and the Stars
by itanejiluver
Summary: Itachi and Neji live happily as the gods who reign over the moon and the stars of the mortal night sky... until one day, the sorceress Karin enacts her revenge upon Neji. She turns Neji in to a swallow, and banishes him down to Earth! Itachi is forced to enter the human cycle of rebirth in order to find his true love once more. Can true love really beat all? Warning: OOC/fluff.
1. Prologue

**a/n:** Hey everyone! So, this story has been taking up a lot of my time because it was difficult to write parts of it, especially during my final exams. I am happy to say that now, I'm on summer break, and that my state of hiatus is lifted. Thanks to all of my readers for their support of my writing, and thank you to my poll voters *cuddles*. Now, please enjoy this teaser to the further story…disclaimer on my profile, no warnings: enjoy!

The Moon and the Stars

By itanejiluver

Prologue

A lone traveler wearily stumbled down the road towards the gypsy encampment. The traveler smiled and tugged slightly at the brim of his large brown hat as he watched a group of small children playing in the dying daylight. He cleared his throat, and made his presence known.

The entire camp fell silent, and the little children stopped their game as they regarded him with wary eyes. The traveler felt sympathy for them, given the recent violence in travelling camps.

"I mean you no harm." The words came out, but died in the still air of the camp. The traveler cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean you no harm."

A middle-aged man stepped forward. "What do you seek, stranger?" he asked coldly.

The traveler spread his arms wide. "I am but a poor bard seeking food and shelter for one night."

"For one night?" the headman asked suspiciously. "And what can you offer us?"

"What else can a bard offer but a good tale?" The traveler held his breath in trepidation.

Luckily, a young woman came to his aid. "Father, let him stay. See how weary and hungry he looks—surely you can't deny him a place to rest?"

The headman shook his head. "I trust that you mean no harm to us. You may stay one night—but one night only."

The traveler bowed. "I thank you for your hospitality." He moved to sit down in front of the large bonfire in the camp's center, and activity slowly resumed.

The group of young children cautiously approached the traveler.

"Why, hello little ones."

"D-do…do you tell stories, Mister?" a little boy with dirt smudged across his nose piped up from the head of the group.

"I do," the traveler said amiably. "Would you like to hear one?"

"Oh yes!" a little girl in a colorful skirt squeaked eagerly. "The bards always have the best stories."

The bard chuckled. "Alright. How about I make a deal with you—after I get something in my belly, I'll tell you a story. But while I'm eating, you can all tell me about yourselves."

The children nodded eagerly as a gypsy woman set a bowl of stew in front of the traveler. The traveler smiled, and indicated that the children start. The traveler learned the all the children's names, and was in the process of learning about their favorite games when he finished his dinner.

He gently interrupted the long-winded explanation of a fairly complicated game of sticks. "Alright…maybe you can teach me your game later, but I've finished my meal. How does a story sound to you all?"

The children instantly perked up. "A story!" they whispered excitedly to each other as they scrambled for comfortable positions on the ground so that they could listen to the bard.

The traveler smiled quietly at the pure sweetness of youth. "Alright…now, I have a very special story for you. It's about two gods who get separated, and have to fight everything they know to return to each other."

The children's' eyes lit up with interest as they looked around at each other breathlessly.

"This story is about two gods named Neji, and Itachi." The traveler smiled down at all of the children sitting next to each other in a large group, and made a mental note of how adults and teenager were beginning to drift over towards his seat by the fire.

"However, I'll warn you now—this isn't just a children's story. This is a story about how love beats all," he said gravely. "It begins like this…" he cleared his throat, and nodded as someone brought forth a pitcher of water.

"Many, many years ago, when the world was still young, there was a godling named Neji Hyuga. He was beautiful with pale skin, lustrous brown hair, and eyes like grey pearls. It was only natural that he would attract attention from the other gods, but the one who captured his heart was Itachi Uchiha, the god of the moon. Neji joined Itachi in the night sky as his consort, and assumed his reign of the stars, happily filling a position that had been empty for a very long time.

The world was jubilant, and rejoiced at the two gods' union; the Earth was at peace, and mortals celebrated for days on end. However, not everyone was happy with their relationship. Karin, a powerful sorceress, burned with jealousy. She had spent eons trying to woo Itachi, only for Neji to come in and steal her prize. In a fit of cunning vengeance, she entered the Night Palace during the daytime and stole Neji away from his beloved while the Night slept. She transformed Neji in to a drab sparrow, and rejoiced at her the success of her scheme; no matter how far or how deeply Itachi searched, he would never be able to find Neji.

Itachi woke from his daily sleep, and shocked and terrified by Neji's disappearance. He vowed to never rest until he found his love, and when he wasn't ruling the Night Palace, he spent the rest of his time searching for Neji through the land until even the mortals began to notice how tired the god was. At last, he realized what had happened and sought out the witch, determined to find Neji. She laughed at him, and told him that she had banished Neji to the Earth. "Will you be willing to enter the hundred-year cycle of re-birth that humans must go through?"

Itachi glared at her. "I vowed that I would find Neji," he said coldly. "I keep my word." He stormed out of her lair, and travelled down to Earth to begin his search for Neji.

Ever since then, his seat as the lord of the moon, and Neji's seat as the god of the stars have stayed empty…and the world wept in anger and sadness."

The traveler paused, and smirked softly as he held the attention of the entire camp in his hands.

"In his first cycle of rebirth…"

**a/n:** Dun dun duuuuuuuuun! Sorry for the horrible prologue ending, but hopefully y'all are on tenterhooks for the next chapter to the story. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review on your way out…see ya next chapter!


	2. Chapter 1

**a/n:** Hello everyone! Thank you for reading, favoriting, and following the story…disclaimer on my profile, no warnings. Enjoy!

Chapter One

Young Itachi hurried down the dirt road that led to the rice fields where his father and his uncle worked. His little sister, Mikoto, hurried along behind him; she gave a little cry as she tripped over a rise on the dusty path, but dutifully got up and continued along after her brother.

"Itachi nii-san, wait for me!"

Itachi slowed down and waited for Mikoto to catch up with him. At the age of young age of twelve, he was full of boundless energy, but he was also full of a strong sense of familial duty. He brushed his hair out of his face and waited patiently for his little sister to catch up with him.

"Are your knees ok?"

Mikoto sniffled a little, but nodded her head.

Itachi smiled tenderly down at her and grabbed her hand before starting off again.

"Why are you in such a hurry anyways, nii-san?"

"I'm sure father and uncle are very tired and hungry. We should bring them their food quickly."

Mikoto nodded solemnly, and then fell in to a contemplative silence. "Nii-san…how come father won't let me work in the fields?"

Itachi looked down at her and squeezed her hands. "He doesn't want you to become scarred from hard work, and he wants you to go study in the village. You know that."

"B-but…I always feel so useless, watching Father and Nii-san working in the fields while I sit at home and learn how to sew."

Itachi chuckled. "That's alright. You aren't useless—the best thing that you can do for us is smile at us when we come home. It's for you and mother that we work, after all."

"Ok."

"So…I heard cousin Fugaku came by today?"

Mikoto turned bright red. "Yeah."

"Did you two have fun playing together?" Itachi prodded her.

"Yes."

"And…?"

"And what?" she shot back.

Itachi sighed, and dropped the subject. "Mikoto, just promise me you won't get too carried away."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

The two siblings continued along the dirt path until they disappeared over the crest of a hill.

XXX

Seven years later, Itachi found himself shaking his cousin's hand while his sister waited patiently in the house for the ceremony to start. Itachi scowled, and tried to shake off the irritable feeling that hung over him like a cloud; he was unbearably sad to see his sister being carried off by a man to another village, but Itachi supposed that if that man was Fugaku, then surely Mikoto would be alright.

"You take good care of her, you hear?"

Fugaku smirked. "Yeah, I will. Don't worry about your little sister; she'll be safe with me."

"Good." Itachi opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by his mother shouting at him from the house.

"Itachi! Be a dear and come over here!"

Itachi cast an apologetic glance at Fugaku before hurrying off again to help with the wedding celebrations.

It wasn't until late evening that Itachi headed back to the house; he scurried down the dirt path through the orchards, but stopped short when he saw something lying in his path. Upon closer inspection, the object was a small brown sparrow; as Itachi crouched down beside it, he realized that it was feebly trying to lift its wings in to the air. His brow furrowed as he noticed that one small wing was pointing in an odd direction. He gently lifted the bird in to his large hands before abruptly setting the dislocated wing back in place.

The sparrow chirped feebly in protest, and then flopped down tiredly in to Itachi's hands. Itachi smiled suddenly, unsure of why this bird pulled at his heart so. He began walking back to the house again, quietly promising himself that he would see the bird through until it was fully recovered from its injury.

To Itachi's pleasant surprise though, the bird stayed with him long after it had fully recovered. Friends came and went, marriages happened, and children were born. His parents died and his sister's in-laws moved to the big city, but Itachi remained in his childhood home, faithfully tending the fields with the little sparrow at his side.

Finally, Itachi was an old man. He remained alone, save his sparrow; somehow, he'd never been able to find it within himself to obey his filial duty and marry a young woman. Whenever he thought about it, it went so strongly against his nature that no matter how much his parents had wept, he'd never been able to go through with it. He hadn't wanted to stay with tradition and bear children to continue his family name; he wanted a love match, and no woman seemed to fit his tastes.

Itachi lay in his bed, his breath coming erratically from his thin bony chest. He lifted a frail hand towards the sparrow that had stayed by his side for nearly sixty years.

The sparrow had grown immensely old as well; its feathers were gray and worn, and were beginning to fall out in places. The small bird hopped over and rested on Itachi's hand. It tilted his head and twittered questioningly at Itachi's pensive expression.

"I had a strange dream," he murmured.

The bird chirped inquisitively.

"I dreamed that I was a god," he murmured softly. "And that…you were a god too. Named Neji."

The bird perked up.

"Neji, I…" Itachi choked suddenly, and stopped speaking for a few moments. "Neji…it's too late for me to do anything now. I can feel death coming for both of us." Itachi's trembling fingers stroked over the crown of Neji's head. "I'm sorry it took me so long Neji."

The bird chirped and rubbed its head against Itachi's fingers.

Itachi took a rattling breath. "I'll keep trying," he promised. "One life…I won't give up after one life…"

Neji hopped off Itachi's hand and came to rest by his head. For a moment, a spark of human consciousness lit up the sparrow's beady eyes.

With a final sigh, Itachi passed in to the realm of the dead.

**Tbc…**

**a/n:** So, this is the main structure of the chapters. There are three more chapters till the end of the story, and we'll follow Itachi's journey through each of his lifetimes. Also, the chapters tend to get longer as the story progresses ahahaha. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed seeing Itachi as an older brother, and his first cycle of rebirth Thanks so much for reading, and don't forget to review on your way out!


	3. Chapter 2

**a/n:** Hello my darlings! Thanks for all the reviews and follows—your support means a lot! I apologize for the long wait as I generally try to wait around five or six days between updates, but I've been away from home for the past week. In chapter two, I had a lot of trouble writing and finishing it, but I hope it is still enjoyable. Warnings: suicide, mild angst at the end…enjoy!

Chapter 2

One hundred years later, Itachi was born in to a place called Tokyo. His first memory was of the color red—bright red, dripping down the windows.

His parents had died in a car accident when he was very young; even though the car had been completely totaled, Itachi had miraculously survived. The fire fighters had pulled him, screaming and bawling, out of the burning vehicle. From there, he'd been rushed off to a hospital, and then transferred between various orphanages. From there, he'd hopped from foster parent to foster parent, until recently, a young couple with a son of their own adopted him.

Itachi entered the cozy little house and began taking his shoes off. He stood up, neatly placed his shoes in the shoe rack, and then headed for the stairs that led up to his bedroom.

To his surprise, there was someone waiting for him in the living room. "Itachi?"

"Yes, Minato-san?" Itachi stopped in front of the couch that his foster father was sitting on and stared at the floor shyly.

"How was your day today?"

Itachi blinked curiously. "It was good." None of his previous foster parents had ever bothered asking him such a question before.

"What subjects did you learn in class today?" Minato gently prodded.

"Well…just…just math, science, English, history. The normal stuff," Itachi mumbled.

"Did you meet any new people?"

Itachi nodded cautiously.

"What were their names?"

"Well…" Itachi pondered as he thought. Today had been his first day at the nearby elementary school, Tomoeda Elementary; maybe that was why Minato was asking him all these questions. "There's a boy named Hoshigaki Kisame. He was my partner for basketball today."

"Was he nice?"

"Yeah." Itachi perked up as he thought about how much fun he and Kisame had had playing basketball together. "He was fun to play with."

"Good." Minato reached out and gently ruffled Itachi's hair, teasing a small smile on to Itachi's serious face. "Kushina will call you when dinner's ready."

"Ok." Itachi picked up his school bag and went upstairs to his room. Minato and Kushina already had a son three years younger than Itachi; Itachi had only just met him yesterday. He got the sense that Naruto was still very much a young child, but Itachi could already tell that Naruto was a very happy soul.

He chided himself when he felt jealousy starting to bubble up in his stomach; why should he feel jealous of Naruto? He should feel happy for him, for having loving parents since the day he was born, never feeling unwanted, never having a sad day in his life. Itachi's shoulders slumped as he sat down on his bed. He hastily rubbed his eyes, and then pulled open his books to start on his homework.

Later that night, Itachi offered to help Kushina wash the dishes. Kushina looked doubtfully at the frail eight-year old; how much help could he really be to her? Kushina shook her head and smiled cheerfully at Itachi and told him that she could do it just fine, and that he could play with Naruto before going to bed. She felt a small flicker of surprise when she saw something dim in Itachi's eyes; he didn't say anything out of the ordinary, but Kushina couldn't shake the feeling that she'd done something wrong.

Itachi had just slipped in to bed and turned his lamp off when someone knocked on his door.

Grumbling, Itachi sat up and turned on the light. "Come in!"

Minato opened the door and entered the room. He shut the door, and sat down on the edge of Itachi's bed.

"Is there something wrong, Minato-san?" Itachi felt his heartbeat quicken; he'd barely been with this new foster couple for two days. Were they already displeased with him? Itachi felt his eyes tear up as he thought back to how Kushina had rejected his offer to help in the kitchen; did she think he was worthless? Were they going to send him back to the foster home so soon?

"Is something wrong, Itachi?"

"No sir," Itachi answered automatically.

"Are you sure? You seemed a little upset at dinner today."

Itachi shook his head firmly. He didn't want Minato to think he was stupid or childish.

Minato sighed, and shifted on the bed. "You know…Kushina doesn't think you're incapable. She just wants you to spend some time playing and being happy, rather than spending all your time doing chores and housework."

Itachi's eyes widened. "R-really?"

"Yes, really."

"Oh." Itachi felt could see his vision blurring with tears, and did his best to hold them in. "Thank you, Minato-san."

"You're very welcome," Minato said warmly. He stood up, and leaned over to turn out Itachi's light. He paused in the doorway and said, "Sweet dreams, Itachi."

Itachi slept without nightmares that night.

XXX

Fifteen years later, Itachi found himself facing a very angry woman on his doorstep. "…Yes?"

"You promised to meet me for dinner yesterday," Hana ground out. "Why weren't you there?"

Itachi shifted uncomfortably. "I had work."

"_Really?_ You're using working as your excuse?" Hana snorted. "How many times are you going to stand me up, Itachi? I get that you're an astrophysicist for whatever company, but haven't you ever thought that some things are more important than that?"

"Such as?" Itachi idly twisted his hair around his finger; he'd gone through many confrontations like these. Hana was seriously getting on his nerves now, and he was playing dumb to provoke her.

"Such as?!" Hana shrieked. Her face turned crimson, and she raised her arm. However, before she could strike, Itachi already had her wrist in his grasp. "I think it's time for you to go home. How much did you have to drink before coming over here?"

Hana gasped. "I'm perfectly sober, thank you!" She wrenched her hand out of Itachi's in an angry jerk. "Well…you can forget about me then! Don't expect me to come crying back to you, after everything you've put me through!" She turned around and stormed off down the street.

Itachi sighed and shut his front door before heading back in to his kitchen. He felt a little ashamed of himself as he thought about how many girlfriends and boyfriends he'd run through in the recent years, but he always found himself searching for something that wasn't there in each of his partners.

Hana had been a particularly bad choice, though. Itachi had met her at his little brother's veterinary clinic where she'd been helping give a dog its necessary shots. He'd seen her kind and gentle manner with the animal, and felt drawn to that caring aspect of her nature immediately.

Unfortunately, it seemed that her attitude towards animals didn't translate to her attitude towards fellow human beings. As time went on, Itachi discovered that Hana was rude, aggressive, and a bossy young woman, all of which Itachi found extremely dislikable. He'd wondered when she would get the message that he was no longer interested in maintaining a relationship with her. He felt bad that he was so relieved to be rid of her, but at the same time he felt that it was better than having spent more time with her, only to keep looking for whatever he was trying to find in all of his previous partners.

Itachi sighed guiltily. Maybe a hot cup of tea would lift his spirits? With that thought in mind, he wandered in to his kitchen, where he ended up falling asleep at the table, his mind swirling with countless thoughts.

The next morning, Itachi got up and followed his normal morning routine: stumble in to the bathroom, relieve himself, stumble out of the bathroom, swallow a cup of coffee, stuff something edible down his throat, brush his teeth, get dressed, and then go running out the door to his car.

However, there was a slight break in his routine that morning. Itachi was in the process of fumbling with his keys so that he could lock his door when he noticed a birds' nest in the rafters above him. "Curious," he murmured. The nest was empty, so Itachi couldn't tell what sort of bird had decided to take up residence on his front porch. Finally, he was able to thrust the key in to the lock, turn it to the left, and then take off for his car as his watch told him that he was running late for work.

Itachi returned late at night from his work building; he was tired and bone-weary, especially since somehow, all of his friends had heard about his confrontation with Hana. They'd all ragged on him about being a "heartless bastard", and Itachi had left in a huff. None of his friends could seem to understand the trouble he was having finding a partner; they all said he was being 'too serious', and that it was way too early in his life to try and look for someone to settle down with, but Itachi couldn't help it. For some reason, no matter how good, gentle, or amazing of a person he dated, that person could never satisfy something deep inside of him. It always ended with him looking in to his partner's eyes, only for his heart to cry out that he was wishing for a pair of eyes that he'd never seen in his life.

Itachi glanced up at the nest on his front porch. There was a bird in it; well, that was unusual. He'd never seen a bird in its nest all alone. Shrugging, he jabbed his keys in to the keyhole and entered his home. It was a pity that he'd just broken up with Hana; she probably would've been able to examine the bird and see if anything was wrong with it.

Before he stepped through the door, though, the bird roused itself and hopped out of its nest. Itachi raised an eyebrow when he heard the soft cooing of a mourning dove.

"…What a weird bird," he muttered under his breath. He stepped inside and firmly closed his door, determined to keep the lid shut on the can of emotions tumbling in his heart.

XXX

Five months later, Itachi found himself sitting across the table from a young man with hazel eyes and a spiky black ponytail. He gritted his teeth, and did his best to be polite. "…So, how do you feel about science?"

The man took a drag from his cigarette and released a cloud of smoke from his lips. "Troublesome," he drawled.

Itachi shook his head in exasperation. "Are you even _trying_ to make an effort?"

"No. But you certainly are," the young man, Shikamaru, smirked at him.

Itachi sighed and gave up. He pushed back his chair and stood at the table, fuming.

"What, leaving already?" Shikamaru looked up at him with surprise.

"I'll call you the next time I feel like wasting an evening on you," Itachi spat in annoyance before turning on heel and walking out of the shougi parlor. His breath came out in an irritated huff as he walked down the street to the bus stop. What a lazy ass! Shikamaru had seemed fairly interesting; he had a sharp mind, and was incredibly intelligent…the only downside to his character was that he was so incredibly lazy! Itachi shook his head in frustration and settled down on a hard plastic seat.

He raised an eyebrow when he heard someone strolling lazily towards the bus stop. "I'll take you home if you want."

"No thanks," Itachi scoffed. "I'll just take the bus."

"Am I that awful to be around?"

"…Yes," Itachi said flatly.

"Ouch," Shikamaru chuckled. "Come on, it's just a ride home. I feel bad."

"You should," Itachi sniffed, miffed. "I'll just wait for the bus."

"Stubborn, much?"

Itachi chuckled bitterly. He was sick and tired of trying to find a good match for himself, and Shikamaru's utterly contemptible failure to catch his attention had him up in arms. "You could say that."

"Well, if you refuse to accept a ride home from me, then I'll wait for the bus with you." Shikamaru plopped down on to the seat next to him, and Itachi ground his teeth in frustration. Did this guy seriously not know when to give up?

Shikamaru smirked. "So what area of Tokyo do you live in?"

"That's really none of our business."

"I'm just curious," Shikamaru wheedled.

"Absolutely not."

"Fine. Uh…do you like sweets?"

"Why are you making an effort _now_, when I'm trying to ditch you at a bus stop?" Itachi asked in exasperation. "I really don't want to know what goes on in your head." He stood up and hailed down the approaching bus; thankfully, it went on a route that would take him directly to his house.

"See you around some time?" Shikamaru asked hopefully. He quailed under the icy glare he received from Itachi. He slouched back in to the chair and stared after the bus as it roared down the street. "…Guess not then," he grumbled.

Meanwhile, Itachi paid the bus driver before slumping down in to a seat. He imagined for a moment that there was steam pouring out of his ears; he wouldn't have been surprised, considering how hot his ears felt. The nerve of that damn bastard—'See you around?' Really!

Finally, Itachi was able to get off of the bus on to a stop near his house. He trudged home wearily, and in low spirits.

However, the moment his foot hit the porch, he became energized. "SHOO!" he bellowed, kicking out at the cat on his porch. The cat was attacking the solitary little mourning dove that Itachi had grown so accustomed to! "Get lost!" His foot made contact with the cat's side, and the cat drew its claws out of the birds' sides and raced away.

Itachi instantly dropped down by the bird fluttering feebly on the porch. "Oh gods, no!" He stared in horror at the mess of blood and feathers that coated the sweet little creature.

The dove cooed softly and thrashed about in pain, and Itachi watched in shock as the dove's struggles weakened, and then stopped in a matter of seconds.

"No…no!" Itachi suddenly knew, as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, that this bird was the reason that he could never fill the hole in his heart. This bird was what he'd been looking for his entire life, this bird was the other part of his soul…this bird was everything he'd been dreaming of!

But now, the bird was dead. Itachi staggered to his feet and began to walk away, blinded with tears and rage. He stumbled out of the quiet streets of his neighborhood. He ignored the shouts of the people around him and began to cross the street in the middle of Tokyo traffic—after all, what did it matter? His soul mate was dead. Itachi shut his eyes as a pair of blinding headlights approached him at forty miles per hour, and pretended that he was really seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

Suddenly, the bubble of silence around him was gone. His body was on fire; he couldn't feel his legs and it felt as if his arms had been ripped apart. People were screaming, horns were honking, and Itachi smirked faintly as he heard sirens in the distance. Finally, he opened his eyes and was greeted by a familiar color: red. Red everywhere, splashed across the truck he was half under, spattered across the asphalt, and covering the hands of the gentle stranger who was trying to help him. _How ironic…_

He closed his eyes again, and welcomed the wave of red that rose to meet his agonized consciousness.

XXX

He sat up suddenly, his body covered in a cold sweat. Had it all been a dream? Was the bird still…

He blinked in confusion. He wasn't lying in his bed at home, but he wasn't in a hospital. Rather, he was in the night sky; his body floated on nothing, but he was surrounded by darkness broken only by large balls of silver light.

Of course, if they were really stars, he would probably be dead, and if this was space then…Itachi shook off his analytical train of thought. What on earth was going on? Where was he?

A soft sob alerted him to the fact that he was not alone. He got to his feet and turned to face the source of the sound.

To his shock, a tall iron cage stood to his left. Inside the cage was the most beautiful young man Itachi had ever seen, and instinctively, he realized that this man was the soul that had been imprisoned in the dove on Earth. Unbidden, a name rose to his lips.

"Neji…"

Neji reached through the iron bars of the cage. "Itachi!"

Itachi tried to move towards the cage, but found that he couldn't move his feet. "Neji!" A wave of panic enveloped him as he suddenly remembered everything. "Neji! Damn it!" He struggled to free himself from his invisible chains.

A feminine giggle arose from the darkness. "Late as always, hm? Silly, silly Itachi. You won't be seeing your precious Neji again for a while!"

Neji's eyes widened in shock, and Itachi choked. He looked down, and found a sword protruding through his chest. He choked, and then coughed again; he watched in horror as gobbets of blood flew out of his mouth.

"Itachi!" Neji started pounding on the bars of his cage in panic as Itachi collapsed to the ground. "No!"

A woman with long red hair entered the scene and knelt by Itachi's side. "I'm afraid that it's a 'Yes', my dear Neji," she said absently. She reached out and cradled Itachi's still head in her hands. "Suicide…don't you find that a bit dramatic, Itachi-kun? You'll find that now, you won't be able to see your darling for a thousand years now." With a wicked smile, she straightened up and turned towards Neji. "Just you and me…for a thousand years," she whispered sinisterly. She pulled a knife out of her belt and started walking towards the cage. "Let's get started, shall we?"

Neji fell back from the cage bars and began to scream.

**Tbc…**

**a/n:** Meep! The ending frightened me a little bit while I was writing it ahahaha. Poor Neji! Itachi is always one step too late, it seems. Anyways, thanks for reading, and let me know what you think on your way out!


	4. Chapter 3

**a/n:** Hey everyone! Thanks for all the lovely reviews and favorites; they mean a lot! This chapter has no warnings although there is mild violence and angst…but really, quite mild. Enjoy!

Chapter Three

The storyteller sighed and cleared his throat. Someone instantly rushed forward and handed him a glass of water; the bard nodded his thanks and took a long drink while the camp waited impatiently.

He downed the contents of the glass within seconds. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and smiled slightly to see the children at his feet fighting hard to stay awake. He glanced down at a little girl's nodding head, and then over at the camp leader. "Now might be a good time to send the children to bed. The hour has grown quite late."

The children instantly sent up a chorus of complaints. "But we want to know how the story ends! Mister, _please…_"

The bard raised his shoulders expressively. "It does you good to obey your elders, children."

"It doesn't seem fair that the children don't get to hear the end of the story," the leader's daughter said quietly.

"But leader-" one boy piped up.

"No, son. It's too late, and tomorrow is a busy day. All of you children need your rest. Don't you want to grow tall and strong?"

"Yes," the little boy said uncertainly.

"Then you need to sleep the proper amount," the leader said firmly. "Off to bed, all of you. Say goodnight to your parents."

There was a chorus of farewells from the children, and they began to trail off to their tents with drooping shoulders. The storyteller drank more water while he waited for the last child to go enter their tent.

At last, he began the story once more…

"One thousand years later, Itachi was born back in to the original world he had come from. It was a magical world, where gods existed on the Earth alongside mortals; Itachi was born in to a wealthy, upper-class clan. He was the first son and heir to the Senjuu clan, a family famous for their mages and weaponry techniques. He lived through a hard childhood, but his experiences turned him in to an incredible young man.

XXX

Itachi cradled his younger brother Madara as he dashed for the hiding place beneath the library floor; the clan grounds were weathering an ambush from a rival family. His mother had always told him that he was too young to fight, and that if any dangerous situation should happen, he should grab his baby brother and hide.

Itachi squeaked when someone grabbed him by the shoulder. He stopped, and felt dread building at the bottom of his stomach as he stared up in to the stony face of his father.

"Itachi…where are you going?" Hashirama looked down at his five-year old son disapprovingly.

"M-mother said…" Itachi swallowed hard and tried to articulate himself. "Mother said that if we were attacked, that I should get Madara and go hide under the library with him."

"Is that what she said?" Hashirama asked mockingly. "Well, son, I think you're old enough now."

"But Father—Madara can't even walk yet!" Itachi said desperately.

"Put him down and come with me."

"Can't I at least put him down somewhere safe?"

"Who needs to take care of unnecessary junk?" Hashirama asked dismissively. "Put him down. _Now,_ Itachi."

Itachi bit his lip, and then gently placed his brother near the wall, safely out of harm's way. Hashirama sneered as Madara began to bawl. "Let's go, Itachi. As the future leader of the clan, you need to see what battle is like." He grabbed Itachi's arm in a harsh grip and began dragging him out towards the fighting. Itachi sent a desperate look back at Madara, who was sitting in the corridor, crying his eyes out.

At least he would never be referred to as 'unnecessary'.

Hashirama dragged Itachi out to a window that overlooked the battle. "This is what you'll do when you grow older, Itachi." He swept his arm out of the bloodied lawns of the glorious Hashirama mansion. "You will become a great warrior and defeat all of your enemies."

Itachi struggled not to cover his eyes and shrink back in to a corner; he felt dizzy from the sight of all the fighting and gore.

"Relish it. Be proud of the role you will play in our family, son." Hashirama reached out and ruffled Itachi's hair. "You're doing very well. Do you want to know what I did the first time my father showed me a real battle?"

Itachi shook his head hesitantly.

"I passed out," Hashirama chuckled. "But after that, it was better. The first battle is always the worst…the others well seem less frightening, don't worry son." He smiled down at Itachi in a rare moment of fatherliness.

Itachi smiled back hesitantly, until his father's words hit his mind. "Will I have to come out here more?" he asked desperately.

"Every time there is a battle. For now, you're too young to participate. Until you can learn the appropriate skills, it will be your duty to come out to this window and watch the battles. It is an important lesson, my son. Standing back and watching your kinsmen become hurt or wounded in battle and being unable to help them is one of the most important lessons a warrior can learn."

Itachi's shoulders began to shake, and tears poured down his face. "I…I d-don't want to!"

Hashirama's fatherly attitude vanished instantly as his face hardened. "You must, and you shall!" he thundered. "I will hunt you down and tie to this ledge if I must! You must undergo pain to grow up, Itachi!"

To Itachi's relief, his mother appeared. She was covered in blood, but seemed otherwise unhurt. "He's only five, Hashirama," she pleaded. "For heaven's sake, don't be so harsh on him. He must be terrified out of his mind." She reached out and wrapped her son in her arms. "Don't worry," she whispered in his ear. "It's all over now. It won't happen again for a while."

Itachi cried in to his mother's shoulder while his father looked on in disgust. "You spoil him too much."

Itachi's mother shook her head. "He's just a child," she reminded her husband. "I will do anything to protect his innocence for as long as I can."

Hashirama snorted and left the windowsill. "He will be too soft when he grows up," he warned his wife, "and we will lose everything the clan was made to be."

XXX

Twelve years later, Hashirama's dire prediction had proved to be false; the Senjuu clan was still a powerful force among mortals, and Itachi was growing in to his position as the heir to the clan quite well. He was well liked because he tended to be more sympathetic than his father, and he was a good listener; in addition to these qualities though, he still managed to hold his authority, and was a sharp thinker.

Hashirama gazed at his son with fatherly pride in his eyes. "Today is a big day, you know."

"Yes, father."

"It is your seventeenth birthday," Hashirama said quietly. "You have officially become an adult today. I congratulate you. May you have a long and happy life."

"I thank you, father."

Just then, Madara burst in to the room and destroyed the quiet father-son moment. "Itachi!" he yelled. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you little brother." Itachi reached out and ruffled Madara's messy hair affectionately. "Now, go brush your hair before mother sees you. We can't be going to Lord Hyuga's palace in such a state of disarray."

Madara pouted. "But you know that my hair's always like this!"

"Go brush your hair, Madara," Hashirama said coldly. He'd always disliked his younger son, and had been cold to him from his childhood. "We have to go soon."

Madara's wild demeanor instantly cooled down, and he bowed politely to his father. "Yes father," he said quietly, and walked out of the room.

Itachi sighed through his nose as he watched Madara go. He'd done his best to protect Madara as an older brother, but it was at times like these that he was never sure that he'd succeeded. He didn't understand why Hashirama seemed to hate Madara so much, but either way, he couldn't help but wish that someday Madara would learn to love himself for who he was.

Itachi's mother popped in. "Hello, son! Congratulations," she smiled. She walked over and kissed her son on the cheek before slipping her arm through Hashirama's elbow. "Shall we get going?"

"Madara's brushing his hair," Itachi replied automatically. "Just give him a minute."

"It's just as well," she sighed. "And his robes were on correctly, right?"

"As far as I could tell," Itachi shrugged. "They are difficult to get right though."

"Hmph!" Hashirama sneered. "What sort of boy can't put his clothes on correctly?"

Itachi cut his eyes at his father, but said nothing when Madara entered the room with his hair in a considerably neater state.

"Ready to go?"

"Yes!"

The small family set off to join the rest of the clan on their way up to the palace of Hiashi Hyuga, God of the Sun. tonight was a particularly auspicious night; it was the festival of the stars, and it was Itachi's seventeenth birthday. The festival of the stars was a celebration that had gone on for thousands of years that honored the steady lights in the night sky; they also honored the missing god of the stars, whose gaze brought love and good fortune on all of those it fell upon.

Hiashi Hyuga, God of the Sun, was the father of the god of the stars. The name of the god was remembered only among his fellow immortals, as he had been missing for ages among the human world. While the god of the stars was missing, Hiashi had taken over his necessary duties. Sometimes, Itachi wondered that if the god of the stars was ever found, would he have to fight Hiashi for his position back? Or would Hiashi bow out gracefully? Mortals could never predict what the gods might do in their celestial power plays.

Hashirama suddenly seized his elbow and prevented the small party from entering the castle. "Itachi, do you remember what you must do?"

"Yes, Father."

"Tell me. Tell me what you will do, and what he will do, and then how you will respond."

"Um…very well then. We will approach Hiashi in his reception hall. We will bow to him and thank him for his support of our welfare, and for our good luck this year. Then, he will address me and recognize that I have turned seventeen. I will thank him for his recognition, and we will leave his presence to mingle with the other clans."

"Very good." Hashirama's shoulders relaxed in relief. "Don't stray from the plan boy, do you understand? Hiashi Hyuga is not like anything you've ever dealt with in your life."

"Yes, sir."

"Let's go then," Hashirama said briskly, and tucked his wife's hand in to his elbow as they entered the castle gates. Madara fell in step beside Itachi and grinned up at him from beneath his bangs. "How quaint," he murmured.

"It is good to see that they care for each other," Itachi said somewhat absently. "At least you're getting practice for when this happens to you. Before, when we were still kids, we could just run along to the ballroom and leave Mother and Father to make the formal greetings."

"That's what you get for being an adult," Madara said sardonically. "Think about it like practice—you'll be doing this for the rest of your life once Father moves on."

Itachi shot a look at Madara, but kept his peace. "Still…I'm not looking forward to it. Not many things scare father."

Madara snorted, but then went silent as they entered the reception hall. They copied all of their parents' moves down to the submissive tilts of their heads as they approached the god, seated on his throne.

"Hashirama Senjuu," the god rumbled; Itachi shivered as waves of power radiated from the man. "It has been a long time."

"We are most thankful for our good fortune and welfare this year, my lord," Hashirama said humbly.

Hiashi nodded regally, and then put forth a beckoning hand. "Your oldest son has come of age today, has he not? Come forward, boy—it seems that we shall begin to see more of each other. I would like to meet you face to face."

Itachi shot a panicked look at his father as he approached the god; this most definitely was _not_ part of the plan. "Greetings, Lord Hyuga."

"Greetings, Itachi Senjuu." The god was searching his face with such intensity that Itachi felt as if drills were boring in to his skull. What was the god looking for? Itachi's gaze flicked away in an attempt to regain his composure when his eyes fell upon the magnificent swan nestled at Hiashi's side.

"That swan is very beautiful, my lord," he blurted out without thinking.

Itachi felt confused when the god stiffened, and then suddenly relaxed at his words. "Yes, he is indeed," Hiashi said, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "I had him imported from one of the more destitute regions I'm afraid; the poor brute was going to be killed and put in to someone's soup if I hadn't intervened."

"That would have been an unfortunate fate for such a magnificent specimen."

"Indeed." Hiashi inclined his head. "It was good meeting you, Itachi Senjuu. I look forward to seeing more of you." He straightened his chin, and the Senjuu delegation instantly knew that they had been dismissed.

Once they were out of the reception hall, Hashirama seized Itachi by the elbow. "What the _hell_ was all of that about?"

Itachi shook his father's grip off of his arm. "How would I know?"

Hashirama snorted and shook his head, but let the matter drop. "Hopefully, nothing comes of it. Now, run along and dance son."

Itachi nodded vaguely and drifted off in to the shadows; his mind was still on the glorious swan that had been in the reception hall. He had glanced briefly in to its eyes, and had been astonished to see something human in the swan's eyes as it gazed back at him. He was determined to find the bird again, and figure out his strange attraction to it.

Meanwhile, back in the reception hall, Hiashi stood up and stretched his arms out. The swan at his feet shuffled upwards and pulled hesitantly at the leash that was tied to Hiashi's throne.

"Yes, yes, don't worry…I haven't forgotten about you." Hiashi bent down and untied the leash from the swan's neck before snapping his fingers; in the swan's place, a young man with long brown hair and pale, pearly eyes knelt on the floor.

"My lord Hiashi," the boy mumbled.

"Neji, you did well. My beautiful swan," Hiashi smirked and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "You may serve at the ball tonight."

Neji's head shot up, and he gazed at his master in astonishment. "Really?" Neji had been hinting that he wanted to serve at the ball for months, but he had thought that his wishes would be denied.

"Really," Hiashi confirmed, "But only on one condition."

"Your wish is my command, sir."

"Stay away from the Senjuu clan. As long as you do that, you will be permitted to attend the ball as a servant."

"I understand, my lord."

"Very good. You may go now." Hiashi watched Neji's hair sway in the candle light as he scrambled to his feet. Neji bowed one final time before running for the servant's hall; Neji was eager to get away from Hiashi. He _hated_ being transformed in to a swan, but that was how Hiashi seemed to enjoy his presence the most, and so Neji was eager to get away. Neji's heart lifted at the thought of serving at the ball; he would be able to observe all of the rich families, and the lords and ladies, and he might even have a chance to meet a fellow servant from outside the castle! The possibilities were endless.

Neji walked swiftly through the halls of the palace as his mind slowly returned to Hiashi's strict instructions. He wondered why Hiashi had instructed him to stay away from the Senjuu clan; all of Hiashi's visitors had remarked on his beauty as a swan, but the Senjuu heir…Itachi, was it? Itachi had looked directly in to his eyes. Neji felt his heart warm, and he knew that his face was probably red and glowing as he remembered the intensity of Itachi's gaze. Secretly, deep in the bottom of his heart, Neji knew that the thing he was most looking forward to at the ball was seeing Itachi again.

XXX

Itachi had snuck away from the ballroom in an attempt to find a restroom; so far, he was having no luck. Instead, he turned a corner, and found servants clearing away a reception table; he instantly dove back in to the shadows, not wanting to alert the servants to his presence. He was interested in the work they were doing: various maids and valets rushing back and forth from the kitchens with cold platters of food and other manservants clearing away the long table, sweeping the floors, and turning the room back to its previously spotless state before the party.

Itachi's heart went still when he saw one particular servant sweeping the floor close to his hiding spot; he was a young man with long brown hair, pale skin, and pearly eyes: Itachi had taken one look at those eyes, and he'd known that the servant was the same being as the swan in Hiashi's reception hall. Itachi tried to slow the rapid pounding of his heart as he pieced together a plan to get some time alone with the beauty.

He waited for what seemed like ages, but what really couldn't have been more than half an hour, for the servants to finish cleaning. Finally, only a few servants were left, and the swan was one of them. Itachi stepped out from his hiding spot and approached the young man.

"Excuse me."

The boy started, and then clutched his broom in fear as he stared at Itachi; Itachi was a little taken aback at the reaction. Sure, servants weren't supposed to speak to those of higher rank, but Neji was hyperventilating and staring at him with huge, dilated eyes.

"Do you know where the bathrooms are? I'm afraid I'm a bit lost."

The boy nodded hesitantly. "Would you like me to show you where they are, sir?"

"Yes, please." Itachi smiled when the boy put down his broom and beckoned him along the hall. "What is your name?"

"My name is Neji, sir."

"Neji." He rolled the name uncertainly in his mouth, and decided that it had a nice sound to it. "Pleased to meet you, Neji."

"The same to you, sir." Neji was sure that he had a huge blush on his face as he hurried through the halls that would lead Itachi to the bathrooms; here he was, completely disregarding his master's orders…and loving every moment of it. He vaguely wondered if Itachi realized that he had been the swan in the reception hall, but decided it didn't matter.

"Here we are sir." Neji stopped in front of a stone door. "Will you need help getting back to the ballroom sir?"

"My name is Itachi. I would prefer if you used it."

"It would not be my place to use your first name, sir."

"We're alone, Neji," Itachi said in exasperation. "I won't report you."

"I-It wouldn't be right," Neji stuttered. Was Itachi flirting with him? He was starting to see why Hiashi had warned him away from the Senjuus…Itachi clearly meant nothing but trouble.

"Please, Neji?" Itachi flashed him a smile that he knew made women swoon. It seemed that Neji was no exception; his eyes went straight to the floor, and his ears went bright red from the attention he was receiving.

"Itachi," Neji whispered softly to the floor. _What a lovely name._ "You didn't actually need to find the restrooms, did you?"

"I may have gotten lost on purpose," Itachi admitted easily.

"Then I must show you back to the ballroom at once," Neji said in alarm. "It is inappropriate for us to be alone together."

Itachi reached out and caught Neji's elbow as he turned away. "I did this because I wanted to speak to you alone for a moment."

Neji shook his head fiercely and yanked his arm out of Itachi's grip. "I've been ordered to stay away from you! We mustn't be seen together."

"Then why have you allowed yourself to spend this much time with me so far?" Itachi murmured softly. "A few more seconds won't hurt you."

Neji trembled at the sudden rush of emotions that Itachi brought with him; it was unlike anything he had ever felt in his life. Sure, he'd had crushes before now, but no one had been able to invoke the massive storm of happiness, nervousness, and lust that he felt in his heart now.

Itachi felt a wave of relief when he realized that Neji wasn't going to run. He gently took Neji's hands in his and leaned towards the younger boy. "I understand that we've only just met…but I felt something, back in the reception hall. You were Hiashi's swan, weren't you?"

Neji felt quietly delighted that Itachi had deduced the fact. He nodded softly, frightened that Itachi might back away.

Instead, Itachi leaned in closer. "I felt it back in the reception hall, when I looked in to your eyes…and I feel the same way now." He raised a hand and placed it over Neji's rapidly beating heart. "Do you feel it too? Do you feel the connection between us?"

Neji's mouth parted slightly in shock, his face going slightly red at the physical contact. "I…yes," he whispered softly. He placed a hand over Itachi's, on top of his heart, and looked up in to Itachi's adoring eyes. "Yes, I feel it."

Neither one of them was sure who had leant forward first, but both felt their hearts flutter nervously as their lips connected. The kiss deepened as Neji pushed forward, and Itachi willingly opened his mouth under Neji's advances.

They broke apart, hearts beating fast at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. Neji pressed a pale hand to his lips, his eyes filled with love and laughter, but suddenly went white as a sheet when they heard voices coming towards them.

"R-really, Uncle, is it fair of you to keep him ignorant this way?" a woman stuttered out.

"The curse will only be broken if they realize it themselves," Hiashi Hyuga rumbled.

"Shit!" Neji breathed. Without thinking, his legs moved of their own accord, sprinting away from Itachi and his uncle.

Itachi reached out a hand to try and catch the fleeing Hyuga, only for Neji to slip easily out of his grasp. His eyes widened at the sound of Hiashi's footsteps gaining closer to his hiding place, and he quietly slipped in to the bathroom. He pressed his ear to the door, and waited until he stopped hearing footsteps before sliding down the wall to his knees where he put his head in his hands and cursed his own stupidity…and Hiashi's bad timing.

**a/n: **And…yes, kill me that's the end of chapter three! Sorry for the crap-ass ending. But at least they kissed, right? Anyways, so yes I realize that Neji and Itachi were _not_ born back on to mortal Earth for a third life time, but as they say…third times the charm! I hope that you guys understood how I still tried to keep Neji's curse of being a bird, but keeping Neji as a human at the same time. Review and let me know what you think—chapter four will be the last one!


	5. Chapter 4

**a/n: **hello everyone! Thanks for sticking with the story so far—this is our very last chapter! Thanks to all of the people to reviewed, favorite and followed this story. No warnings…enjoy!

Chapter Four

Eventually, Itachi was able to find his way back to the ballroom where he rejoined his family.

"Itachi, where have you _been_? At least a dozen girls from the clans have been looking for you to go dance!" his mother scolded him.

Itachi tried to keep his patience in check. "Sorry…I was looking for the bathrooms and got quite lost."

Hashirama raised an eyebrow. "Did you happen to…_meet_ anyone while you were lost?"

"What?"

His father smirked at him. "Your lips are quite bruised, Itachi. Don't tell me you ran in to a wall."

Itachi went red, but was saved from responding by the opportune appearance of Haruno Sakura. "Itachi! Happy Birthday!" she smiled warmly at him.

At any other time, Itachi would've gone fleeing to the hills but since Sakura had just saved him from his father, he figured that he could at least be civil to her; he disliked her because he found her rather shallow and vain. "Thanks."

"Would you like to dance?"

Itachi did his best not to grimace. "Sure." He pretended not to see Madara and his mother cackling in to their sleeves as he gritted his teeth and led Sakura on to the dance floor.

The rest of the night passed in a similar fashion, and as the hours grew later, Itachi found his patience wearing thin. Even as he danced with all manner of beautiful women, his mind was furiously concocting plots to find Neji and kiss him again. Eventually, people stopped asking him to dance because he was so preoccupied.

Finally, just as Itachi had made up his mind to leave the ballroom and find Neji, he saw him—there, across the room, half-hidden by the curtains, Neji was by a large window. Neji sat in the window seat, his face and hands pressed up against the window as if he were about to walk through the glass and fly freely through the night. His silhouette against the glass was so lonely and so full of longing that Itachi instantly felt a tug at his heartstrings.

Itachi quietly began to make his way over to the window, keeping in mind that Neji had been forbidden to see him. Glancing anxiously around, he seized his chance when Hiashi turned his back and swept in to Neji's alcove, twitching the curtains shut behind him.

Neji gasped and whirled away from the window. "Who—oh!"

"Hey," Itachi said, somewhat uncomfortably. After all, what did you say after sneaking up on the person who'd had their tongue down your throat a few hours prior?

"Hi." Neji's eyes fell guiltily to the platter of champagne that he'd abandoned on the window ledge. "Um…"

Itachi reached out and took a glass of champagne. "Drink with me?"

"I'm supposed to be serving these to dancers," Neji said, a mild note of exasperation in his voice. "I'm not supposed to actually drink them."

"Live a little! Just drink one," Itachi coaxed. "Aren't you breaking the rules anyways?"

Neji flushed at Itachi's gentle reminder. "Well…I guess a sip couldn't hurt," he sighed softly. After all, drinking champagne with Itachi gave him an excuse to stay by the older man's side.

"Don't worry, you can't really get drunk off of this stuff," Itachi said carelessly.

"Have you ever gotten drunk?" Neji asked curiously.

Itachi smiled slightly. "A couple of times…Madara and I got bored decided that we should increase the number of life experiences that we had."

"…You couldn't wait another year for it to be _legal_ for you to drink?"

"Speak for yourself, you're having champagne aren't you?"

"Yes, well I never told you how old I am," Neji said with an air of superiority. "For all you know, I could be twenty-one."

"You're not twenty-one," Itachi scoffed.

"You're right, I'm not," Neji said cheerfully.

"You look…about sixteen," Itachi guessed.

"Close, but wrong."

"…Fifteen?"

"Yes," Neji smiled down in to his champagne flute. "And you…you turned seventeen today, didn't you? You're the talk of the servants hall."

"What business do I have with Hiashi Hyuga's servants?"

"Oh, some of the maids who've seen you around find you terribly dashing and handsome," Neji said as he glanced coyly up at Itachi. "I can't imagine why, though."

Itachi chuckled and set down his drink. "Can't you?"

"No," Neji said, fighting a smile.

Itachi moved forward and plucked Neji's glass out of his hand before pulling him in to an embrace. He put his face as close as he could to Neji's, and a rush of excitement shot through his blood when he felt Neji's warm breath falling on his lips. "Can you now?"

Neji finally smiled at that, and looked down, his forehead brushing Itachi's mouth. "Yes, I can," he said quietly.

He gasped softly when Itachi took his chin between his fingers and tilted his head, nudging their mouths in to a passionate kiss. This time, Itachi took the lead, gently molding Neji's mouth in to submission while Neji clung to Itachi's robes for dear life. They kept kissing, until Itachi took the initiative to tease his fingers along Neji's collar bone.

"No…wait" Neji gasped, tearing his mouth away from Itachi's in a sudden surge of panic.

"What is it?"

"It's just that…after this, I won't be able to see you for another year. I don't want to…to do stuff, and then not be able to see you for a long time," Neji said uncertainly

To his relief, Itachi relaxed his arms around Neji. "It's alright, I understand. I…after I think about it," he chuckled, "I guess I feel the same way. I wouldn't want to just have a one-night stand with you."

"As you so eloquently put it," Neji smirked.

"Fine." Itachi released Neji, and took a step back so that they could compose themselves. "I agree, we probably shouldn't go beyond kissing…but if you really want to make this memorable, for both of us, what would you want to do?"

"Well…" Neji thought for a minute, and then suddenly came up with a thought. "I've broken all the rules for tonight anyways…I'll probably disappoint you with my attempt at rebellion."

"You could never disappoint me," Itachi assured Neji. "After all, our lives are so different…tell me, what do you have in mind?"

"I've never been outside at night before."

Itachi frowned in confusion. "You mean, you've never been allowed to go to the village at night on your own before?"

"No. I mean, Hiashi simply won't allow me to set foot outdoors at night," Neji said seriously. "I want to be under the night sky and feel the cold air on my face and see the stars with clear eyes, not through a pane of glass."

"Well…that is easily accomplished. It can't be too hard to sneak out of here," Itachi blinked. True, he was a little surprised that Neji had been so deprived, but he didn't mind. If anything, it was sweet and ever so slightly romantic. "Do you know a way to go outside?"

"Yes…" Neji suddenly felt a wave of nervousness wash over him; disobeying his instructions for one special event was understandable, but this was a rule that Hiashi had set in stone for him from the day he had entered the household.

"Hey don't get nervous now. This is what you've wanted to do for your entire life, right?"

"I suppose." Neji swallowed nervously. 'We'll have to sneak out of the ballroom though."

"Here, I have an idea. The ball won't end for a while…go serve your drinks, and then I'll meet you outside the grand doors."

"Why would I serve my drinks?"

"Hiashi won't suspect your reason for leaving the ballroom…to get more refreshments, of course."

Neji smiled at the ingenuity of the plan. "Of course. And what will your reason be for leaving?"

"Hiashi won't be watching me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Neji shook his head. "After all, he did warn me to stay away from your family, didn't he?"

"True," Itachi acknowledged, "But I am a master of getting in and out of places unseen."

Neji snickered. "You do know how cheesy that sounds, right?"

Itachi laughed. "Of course I do. Anyways, come on; the sooner we get out of here, the more time you can spend outside."

"Alright," Neji smiled warmly. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

Itachi reached out and pressed a kiss to Neji's hand. "See you."

Neji swept out of the alcove with the tray of drinks perched on on his hands; dancers instantly swooped down upon him left and right, taking up glasses of refreshing liquid.

Neji stiffened when he noticed Itachi's younger brother, Madara, swooping down upon him to seize a glass of champagne.

"You're really pretty." Madara started following him across the ballroom floor as Neji wove through the crowds of party-goers.

"Thank you." Neji grit his teeth; he was willing to go through trouble for Itachi, but not for his annoying younger brother. He caught Hiashi's eye and gave him a pleading look, gesturing subtly towards Madara.

Instantly, a young woman with pink hair appeared from nowhere and approached Madara. "Madara, come dance with me!"

"What?" Madara blinked owlishly before allowing himself to be lead away by the random woman. "Uh…sure…"

Neji sighed in relief and gave his master a grateful look as he approached him. He bowed low, and offered Hiashi the final glass of champagne on his serving platter.

Hiashi nodded his head and accepted the glass.

"Please forgive me my lord; you must've seen, I didn't approach the Senjuu boy, he approached me," Neji pleaded.

"Don't worry, Neji. I understand," Hiashi assured him. "And you've stayed away from the rest of that clan?"

"I try my best, my lord. They do comprise nearly half of the party, after all."

"Good," Hiashi rumbled, pleased at Neji's obedience. "Carry on, boy."

"Thank you, my lord." Neji bowed low and scurried away, grateful to be out of Hiashi's presence. His mind instantly went to the thought of his upcoming escapade with Itachi, and he felt a beat of excitement flood through his body. He hurried through the main doors of the ballroom, and was immediately pulled in to the shadows by Itachi.

'Did Hiashi suspect anything was amiss?"

"No, he thinks I've been following his orders all night," Neji breathed.

Itachi smiled and gave him a chaste kiss. "You sly thing. Now, put down that platter, and let's go."

Neji cast his eyes around and quickly placed his platter on its side in the shadows of the hall before grabbing Itachi's hand and hurrying along the hall. "There are many exits to the outside," Neji murmured. "I'm not really sure where we should go."

"Are there any tower balconies and such?"

"Well…yes," Neji paused. "Why?"

"The closer you get to the night sky, the more breathtaking it is," Itachi informed him. "Just trust me; can you lead us to a tower?"

"Sure." Neji lead them through a maze of corridors and hallways, up stairs, down stairs, through closet passageways and tapestries, when they finally reached a large stone door at the top of a long stairwell.

Itachi let go of Neji's hand and leaned against the wall with his hands on his knees. "Well, that was more of a journey than I expected."

"It is a bit of a work out, keeping the place clean," Neji said absently. "Come on, Itachi, I want to go outside!"

Itachi smiled at Neji's enthusiasm. "Alright, go on…let's make us a memory for the rest of our lives." He reached out and pushed open the door to the lookout tower to Hiashi's castle.

Neji gasped in awe as he stepped through the door. "So many stars," he murmured softly. He turned to Itachi with joy in his eyes. "You were right…this is fantastic!"

Itachi smiled somewhat absently as he gazed up at the moon. "It is, isn't it?" he murmured softly.

Suddenly, there was an explosion of power that knocked Itachi to his knees. He let out a yell, and instantly reached out for Neji to pull him back in to the tower. Had Hiashi found them out? Was he going to die? Itachi had never felt so much divine power in his entire life.

To his shock, Neji was no longer standing beside him. Instead, he was floating several feet off the ground.

"Neji…what…?" Itachi breathed in confusion.

Neji was crying and laughing at the same time; Itachi jolted when Neji floated down towards him and cupped his face in his hands. "Oh Itachi, thank you! Thank you so much!" Neji leaned down and pressed a divine kiss to his forehead.

Itachi's head jerked back and his mind went blank as his an explosion of heavenly power coursed through his body. He opened his eyes, and found himself ensconced in a cocoon of darkness for a few moments before the darkness suddenly vanished, and Itachi found himself reborn as a god.

He was Itachi, god of the moon, and floating several feet away from him was his soul mate, Neji, god of the stars. He opened his arms, and Neji instantly launched himself in to a hug.

"Neji," he breathed in to a cloud of cinnamon hair. "By the moon, I've missed you."

Neji gave him a watery chuckle. "I missed you too."

"I'm sorry it took me this long…how ironic. Before, I always figured it out when it was too late, but this time around, I managed to free you from sheer recklessness."

"It wasn't sheer recklessness." Neji rubbed his face in to Itachi's robes to dry his tears before drawing back slightly to look up in to Itachi's face. "It wasn't sheer recklessness," he repeated. "There was also a lot of love in that decision too."

Itachi smiled and caressed the side of Neji's face. "Yes, there was," he agreed softly.

Suddenly, they were no longer alone; now, Hiashi Hyuga stood before them in all of his immortal glory.

"So, you two finally found each other."

"The fault is mine, Hiashi. I took too long in finding him."

"At least you found him." Hiashi surveyed Neji anxiously. "Are you alright, despite being that witch's captive for so long?"

"I am fine, Uncle," Neji answered softly, his lips tilting upwards in to a smile when Itachi gave him a reassuring squeeze. "I am fine."

"You must go reclaim your thrones at once, then."

"We thank you."

"There is no need to thank me. I would have kept you from each other if I could have," Hiashi said honestly.

"Thousands of millennia have passed, and you still refuse to accept our love for each other?" Neji arched an eyebrow.

"Thousands of millennia have passed, and I still have not forgiven Itachi from stealing you away from our home," Hiashi gently corrected him. "May the blessings of the sun follow you wherever you go."

"May the blessings of the night shield you from your darkest enemies," Itachi responded formally.

"Now go, then. The world will rejoice upon your return."

Neji smiled fondly at his uncle before calling out to his stars. Below, on the castle grounds, festivalgoers looked up and cried out in wonder as a cluster of stars fell from the sky and fashioned themselves in to a horse and an open-top carriage.

Two small figures entered the carriage, hand in hand. The silver stallion kicked off in to the starry summer night, and Neji leaned down and scattered the stardust of his blessings upon the world. Finally, after over a thousand years of separation, the two gods are reunited.

As for Karin, she was found by the heavenly council, and was banished down to Earth as a punishment for her crimes. The world rejoiced, and the heavens were able to find their peace once more, with the night sky safe in the hands of the two lovers."

The storyteller sighed deeply and then looked around at his audience; he was startled to see that everyone had tears in their eyes from the beauty of the gods' struggle to reunite.

There was a breath of silence while the magic of the story held, until the entire camp burst in to wild applause. Women and men alike wiped their tears on their sleeves, and the leader of the encampment informed the bard that he was free to stay as long as he wished, having earned his stay in full.

Eventually, the audience began to scatter as people set about putting out the cooking fire, cleaning up the camp, and heading for bed. One gypsy pulled out his violin and began to improvise a melody for the story; it was a passionate tune that plucked at the gypsies' heartstrings, and soon a circle of dancers began to form around the violinist.

Amidst the fervor of the gypsy camp, the lonely bard was able to slip away unnoticed. At last, the bard pulled his hat off, and a great mane of lustrous, red hair tumbled out down her back.

Karin looked up at the night sky and began to cry, even as her legs began to move of their own accord, stumbling away from the gypsy camp on a never-ending journey to spread the story of her folly to every corner of the earth.

Meanwhile, up in the night palace, Neji sat in front of a large glass window, waiting for his lover to arrive. When Itachi entered the room, Neji got up and greeted him with a loving smile, before willingly stepping in to Itachi's arms. The lovers twirled around in slow circles to the haunting melody of a gypsy violin playing somewhere on the Earth below.

_** Fin**_

**a/n:** Yayz! And that's the end of this story—obviously, lots of fluff as per my style, but I've been wanting to write a reincarnation fic for a while, and so I'm glad that I could _finally _finish this project, as I've been working on this story for nearly four months. As to other fics—I'm currently working on one, but it's going to take time as I'm working on writing longer chapters and developing my ideas and plot a little more. It does seem to be more than half way finished though, but don't expect anything for a bit save stray one-shots and drabbles.

Anyways, THANK YOU for reading this story, reviewing, favoriting, or just following along for the ride. See you in another story!

-itanejiluver-


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